Six people killed in five auto accidents in Berks, Monroe counties

Six people have died in five accidents in Berks and Monroe counties since Wednesday, police in the region said Sunday.

A 23-year-old man was killed early Sunday in Polk Township when his sport utility vehicle hit a tree, state police at Fern Ridge said.

The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was westbound on Route 534 near Jungle Road about 4 a.m. when he lost control on a curve, hit the tree and crashed into a retaining wall, police said. He was partially ejected through the windshield, they said.

On Saturday, a 70-year-old Saylorsburg woman was killed in Ross Township when a car driven by Charles Fisher, 46, of Kunkletown crossed into her lane after losing control, state police at Lehighton said. Doris Cherit was driving south on Weir Lake Road about 9:50 p.m. when the accident occurred. Police said Fisher was not injured.

Also Saturday, an Albany Township woman was killed when the sport utility vehicle in which she was riding collided with a fuel oil truck that had turned in front of it in Richmond Township, said Fleetwood Patrolman Michael Quinn.

The woman, Carol A. Cole, 61, was in the front seat of a vehicle being driven south on Route 222 shortly after 8:35 a.m. by Shawna Lee Oswald of Lenhartsville when a southbound tanker driven by Vince Wilczynski, 54, of Sinking Spring, turned in front of them, Quinn said. The tanker rolled on top of the sport utility vehicle after the collision, Quinn said.

Cole was pronounced dead at the scene. Oswald was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, where a spokeswoman said Sunday that she was in stable condition.

Wilczynski and Oswald's 7-year-old son, whose name Quinn declined to release because of his age, were taken by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where a spokeswoman said the truck driver was treated and released. Quinn said the boy also was treated and released.

On Friday, Peggy Monzon of Fleetwood was killed when a "medical emergency" caused her to run into a tree in the borough, Quinn said.

Monzon, 51, was westbound in the 200 block of Main Street about 11:22 a.m. when her car crossed the street and hit the tree, Quinn said. Police suspect a medical emergency because nothing shows that she tried to brake before the collision, he said. Dr. Nicholas Bybel, Berks County coroner, pronounced Monzon dead at the scene.

On Wednesday, two people were fatally injured when their car crossed into oncoming traffic in Richmond Township about 2:35 p.m. and hit a sport utility vehicle, Quinn said.

Jessica Katz, 40, of Maxatawny Township, and her passenger, Timothy Wawrzyniak, 40, of Reading, were southbound on Moselem Springs Road about two miles north of Route 222 when they lost control and hit a northbound sport utility vehicle driven by Terry Frederick of Hamburg, he said.

Wawrzyniak was pronounced dead at the scene, Quinn said. Katz was flown to LVH in Salisbury Township, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, he said.

Frederick, 37, was taken by Fleetwood ambulance to LVH andwas treated and released.